Akin: 'I'm not getting out'

GOP Rep. Todd Akin doesn’t sound like someone who’s about to end his Senate bid.

With a dropout deadline just two weeks away, the Missouri congressman said he’s “totally in” the race and will not drop his bid despite calls from top Republicans and conservative pundits that he immediately do so. As he rushed out of the Capitol on Monday away from a gaggle of reporters, Akin claimed he’s getting widespread encouragement to stay in the race.

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Akin said Missouri voters have told him this: “‘We’ve already voted. The party bosses want to put anyone else in. Don’t you give up; you stay in there and you fight.’”

He added, “That’s what I’m getting all over the state. … I’m very encouraged,” saying his campaign is going “incredibly well.”

Akin said he believes once the Sept. 25 deadline passes, more money will pour into his race to defeat Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, claiming the race will be neck and neck.

Akin created a national controversy last month when he said that “legitimate rape” rarely leads to pregnancies after he was asked about his opposition to abortions in the case of rape. He subsequently apologized for his remarks and said he misspoke.

Still, GOP leaders concluded that he has no chance of winning the race and called on him to drop his bid so the state party can select a replacement. The fear among many people in the party is that Akin will cost the Republicans one of their prime pickup opportunities, which could cost them control of the Senate. He has until Sept. 25 to get a court-ordered petition to end his candidacy, a process he would probably have to start soon in order to successfully get off the ballot.

But Akin said he’s in the race, trying to put to rest speculation that he may drop out.

“I’m not getting out,” he said. “I’m making that very clear. … I’ve tried to say it about five times.”